ぱりそら
I heard that there is a lunch special at a dashimaki specialist restaurant called Dashi Maki Sakaba Zero Go. The lunch comes with dashimaki and you can choose a main dish from options like tempura, braised pork belly, and simmered fish. The restaurant is located right near Higobashi, with a tai meshi specialty store called Tokumasu across the street where you can choose the type and number of tai meshi. The interior of the restaurant is bright and resembles a casual izakaya, with a counter seating for 8, two 4-seater tables, and two 2-seater tables at the back. The tables are equipped with movable partitions for safety. Lunch is available on weekdays, with Saturdays having irregular hours. It's recommended to check if they are open the day before and confirm their hours. I visited on a Saturday right after opening and found the place to be empty. Lunch is served from Monday to Saturday, from 11:30 to 14:00 (please verify with the restaurant for the latest information). The lunch set (all prices include tax) includes free refills of rice and miso soup. Options include: Tempura Set - 1,000 yen Braised Pork Belly Set - 1,000 yen Simmered Fish Set - 1,000 yen Chicken Nanban Set - 900 yen Roast Beef Bowl - 1,000 yen Spice Chicken Curry Set - 900 yen (Roast Beef Bowl and Curry do not come with dashimaki). On the day of my visit, the simmered fish was Kara's Galley. I ordered the Braised Pork Belly Set and shared it with someone. They confirmed the rice portion (regular/large) when ordering and offered free rice refills, which is great for rice lovers. The meal was prepared with care and our elaborate trays arrived in less than 10 minutes. The Braised Pork Belly Set for 1,000 yen was impressive! It came with a generous portion of braised pork belly and a fluffy dashimaki. The braised pork belly was tender with a good amount of lean meat and a slightly sweet sauce. The dashimaki was soft and juicy with a delicate dashi flavor. It was a simple yet delicious dish. The dashi used in the dashimaki is a blend of kombu, bonito flakes, sardine flakes, and round herring flakes, which are slowly extracted overnight. The dashimaki is cooked in a copper pot with rice oil and safflower oil, adding to its authenticity. I also tried the sashimi, which included tender squid, tuna, yellowtail, and salmon. The meal also came with rice and miso soup, both of which were refillable for free. The rice was perfectly cooked and the miso soup had a strong dashi flavor. The pickles included green shiba pickles and pink sakura pickles. I also tried the Simmered Fish Set for 1,000 yen, which was equally impressive. The simmered Karasugarei was tender and flavorful, complementing the rice perfectly. The meal also included the signature dashimaki, rice, sashimi, and other side dishes, making it a satisfying and delicious lunch option.